Paving Slabs to Clean Air in German Cities

Sources of emissions from road traffic in German cities have increased the concentration of toxic nitrogen oxides that exceeds the maximum threshold. By using a special slab paving coated in titanium dioxide nanoparticles is expected to be able to remove nitrogen oxides in the air so its safe to breathe for the human.

The Baroque city of Fulda will be one city that will implement the use of paving slabs to make healthy air in the city. Developed by F. C. Nüdling Betonelemente, photocatalytic paving slabs have been proven to improve air quality in the Italian city. Here in German paving slabs are to be laid the length of Petersberger Straße, where recorded pollution levels topped the annual mean limit of 40 micrograms per cubic meter last year.

Titanium dioxide photocatalyst will use sunlight to speed up a naturallyoccurring chemical reactions, the speed changes with exposure to light. The stronger sunlight will be able to accelerate the decline in hazardous substances but German has only a little sunlight levels.

The research team has extended the time of field tests in specially created street canyons with decreased levels of nitrogen oxides between 20 to 30 percent and the rate of degradation as high as 70 percent for both nitrogen monoxide and nitrogen dioxide.